ZAPPA / MOI We're Only In It For The Money 72 LAMINATED

	£		101
	$		134

Artist or Band: THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION

Album Title: We’re Only In It For The Money.

Cat Number: SELECT 2317 034.

Producer: Frank Zappa.

Executive Producer: Tom Wilson.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Are You Hung Up?; Who Need the Peace Corps; Concentration Moon; Mom and Dad; Telephone Conversation; Bow Tie Daddy; Harry, Your a Beast; What’s the Ugliest Part of Your Body?; Absolutely Free; Flower Punk; Hot Poop.

Side 2: Nasal Retentive Calliope Music; Let’s Make the Water Turn Black; The Idiot Bastard Son; Lonely Little Girl; Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance; What’s the Ugliest Part of Your Body (reprise); Mother People; The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny.

Label/Format: Verve – Silver and matt black finish with MGM credits. (Please see label scan).

Label Conditions: Both in superb condition with only a couple of very fine spindle traces. Most examples seen are in poor shape with a maze of scuffs and heavy matted marks. This fine copy looks modestly played which is reitterated by top quality sound.

What’s on Offer and Rarity: My favourite album of all time: this is the very first issue Verve Select repress and briefly it still included front and back lamination. But this cover is a little more unusual than that: it has the ‘double-jointed’ folded spine allowing this cover to be opened either way. When originally conceived, this controversial cover was to be the perfect ‘Sgt Pepper’ parody, in other words, the female dressed Mothers were to appear inside the gatefold as per The Beatles on their famous album. This was objected too and the cover was reversed. But this one has been manufactured so it can be folded either way with no stressing to the spine. This cover CANNOT be forced to do this without severe damage to the spine fold and I have seen very few of these covers that will actually do this, this is my second only with laminate. This one NATURALLY folds both ways with no forcing or distortion of the cover, it lies flat which ever way it’s folded. So any winning bidder has the choice, it can be turned either way to his (or her) preference and few of these give the opportunity to choose, and can now be enjoyed the way Frank originally wanted it to appear. This monumental album that over the years has actually gained in accolades for its importance (as has most this great man’s music). It was regarded by those, who cared to listen, as a classic from the outset and its reputation, importance and stark messages are as revelant today as they were back in the 60s. I have included with the groundbreaking set the insert which was taken from the Barking Pumpkin issue to make this album kind of ‘complete’. UK examples of this insert are near impossible to find as again they were objected too and withdrawn, even US versions are highly elusive. This insert is rarely seen in the full size format anywhere. The record is regarded as the ‘definitive’ version too with much of the censoring back in place that was deleted from the first pressing (details on this further down). This genuine original first UK repress is scarce, with the double-jointed spine it’s very rare and will seldom be seen or offered.

Original Year of Release: September 1968. This copy was repressed in 1972 and is radically different (and in my opinion, superior) to the 60s pressing.

Matrix Nos: 2317034 A1 420 1 1 1 / 2317034 B1 420 1 1 8

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 115 grams.

Musicians: From left to right: Frank Zappa – Guitar, piano, vocals; Billy Mundi - drums, vocal; Bunk Gardner – All woodwinds, mumbled vocal; Roy Estrada – Electric bass, vocal; Don Preston - keyboards; Jimmy Carl Black (The Indian of the Group) – drums, trumpet, vocals; Ian Underwood - piano, saxophones. Motorhead Sherwood (not pictured on the front, he is seen face-on, on the red inside left) - soprano and baritone saxophones. Guest: Eric Clapton contributes some vocals.

Brief Artist & Album Info: ‘Are you hung up’? - the famous opening line opening this psychedelic masterpiece. A priceless album and for me the greatest ever made. These early Zappa albums were treasured by the few and totally misunderstood by the majority – he put the sneer into underground rock. The brilliant satire of the Sgt Pepper cover should have guaranteed extra sales, but no. It failed to even chart in the UK, and only made 30 in his native America (US copies are easier to find). Zappa’s scathing wit homed in on modern middle-class America and the West Coast hippies and his fears of what was to later imerge. Nineteen amazing songs of avant garde rock, doo-wop, some almost routine pop and hilarious dialogue, which was so hip it has never dated. Zappa made us confront the obvious, and the results were alarming. This album reconstructs music and then turns it inside out - it was so far ahead of its time, as was the man himself, few but the brave could accept it. A surreal collage, a psychedelic masterwork that blends together to form the perfect ‘alternative’ album for that crazy time. Treated voices, strange sounds, a needle being scratched over a record, sections recorded backwards, phasing, short classical interludes, surf sounds and finally the band going off their heads on ‘The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny’ which was Zappa’s answer to ‘A Day in the Life’ from the more famous album. It’s almost incredible how so much entertainment and sound can be compressed on to an album that lasts less than 40 minutes. Amongst all the weirdness (Zappa describes this as a ‘monstrosity’ on the cover’s inner) there are stark messages too: ‘Who Needs the Peace Corps’ ran through a list of Frisco cliches, Augustus Stanley Owsley III, the scene’s acid-maker; the ‘psychedelic dungeons’ that were the hippie clubs; Bill Graham’s celebrated venue, the Fillmore. Zappa’s criticism of the hippies wasn’t just grouchy; it was urgent, political and frightening. ‘Concentration Moon’ made warnings about the internment camps Richard Nixon was readying for non-conformists, while ‘Mom and Dad’ was a chilling premonition of how establishment forces would respond to the anti-war movement (in 1971, when the National Guard University, Zappa’s lyric became a prophecy and a bloody reality). ‘Absolutely Free’ mocked flower Power. The album concludes with ‘The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny’, an outrageous sonic-montage designed to outdo George Martin’s ‘mind blowing’ orchestration at the end of Sgt Pepper. This band were not pretty, but special, very special indeed and the originality of this album and all Zappa’s early works is undeniable. Now what makes owning the Select repress so important? Well it is very different to the UK first pressing. There are several versions of this album, a highly controversial record from the outset that has varying degrees of cuts, edits and censoring. Most consider this reissue THE definitive version, with many parts back in place as censors relaxed. This copy has less editing and a totally different mix. For those who have the CD version of this album (excluding that dreadful remixed overdubbed effort way back, only of interest as it is totally uncensored) these were based on this Select reissue version. This original mix has never made it to the silver format and is never likely to. The original 4-track master tapes, when Frank acquired them back, were badly damaged, hence new bass and drum parts were mixed on to the first CD issues – this was scorned upon and loathed by Zappa fans. The the later CD issues were mixed from the 2-track masters. That makes a vinyl record the only format to truly hear what this album should really sound like and believe me, there is NO comparison. The stereo mix is very different to the mono version too and is unique to vinyl. I will mention the major differences in this stereo repressing compared to the 60s first press. The line in ‘Who Needs the Peace Corps’ police kicking the s**t out is included. The line about working with The Velvet Underground is EXCLUDED (I don’t know why). The line ‘Flower Power SUCKS’! is included on ‘Absolutely Free’. The track ‘Hot Poop’ is now a short speeded up backwards track of the censored part of ‘Mother People’, the original was just a short snork. In fact many of the snorks on this version are different too. The line on ‘Absolutely Free’ ‘I don’t do publicity balling...’ now has the word ‘balling’ included. The line in ‘Let’s Make the Water Turn Black’ referring to ‘the apron and her pad’ is also now included. Apparently the censors thought the word ‘pad’ was referring to a sanitary towel but refers simply to moma, a waitress taking orders in ‘Ed’s Cafe’. Such was the paranoia from the record label about anything Zappa wrote, even if it was innocent. Ironically, the lyrics to the censored songs were still included on the cover which made little sense. It’s interesting how censorship and acceptability change with time and this version is almost complete as Zappa wanted it. As most will know, Zappa was against any form of censorship. Money has several variations, I believe the US copies vary again, some even use bleep-outs in places. But for most the essential copies of this are the original Mono, as here, the original stereo versions and the Verve first reissue (the first CD reissue is interesting in some aspects, as it has ALL censoring taken out, including the, even now, controversial lines in ‘Harry You’re a Beast’ fully intact and unphased). This is a very fine copy with the record playing with great clean sound even though it has surface marks under light. With many rife with deep scratches, groove wear and terrible sound in accordance, this lightly played copy is like a gateway into Zappa’s control room. A high percentage are total right-offs and just to see a copy with clean Verve black labels and giving great audio reproduction is not to be taken for granted. The famous Pepper spoof cover is also in very fine condition with only mild blemishes to the unprotected ‘Pepper’ side. The reversability of this gatefold cover makes for a very unusual and rare piece and viewing it the way Zappa originally wanted it is a major bonus for his discerning fans. I have included with this copy the insert, taken from a copy of the ‘Old Masters’ boxed set. UK copies for a very brief time included this infamous spoof insert before it was withdrawn – it was again a parody of the Pepper insert. I have only ever seen one ‘original’ and that back in my schooldays and I would guess many collectors have never seen one at all. This looks superb and puts that extra piece of icing on the cake. Certainly one of the rarer versions of this classic album, the genuine reversable covers are very elusive and rarely show up, especially laminated.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Moderate+. I reitterate this cover naturally folds both ways, never force a standard cover to do this as damage and cover distortion will happen and the spine is likely to split. A very few of these fold both ways – but most all don’t.

Cover Condition and Details: Overall Excellent+. A gatefold format (yes it folds both ways), laminated on the ‘dress’ sides. This laminate was quickly removed on subsequent repressings. The inside flipbacks were now moved to the inside. It was printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group. The spine is wide and double jointed.

Cover Lamination, Front & Back (dress sides): As pristine and superb looking as I have ever seen, the intense colour of the artwork has to be seen to be fully appreciated and puts the standard Select cover into the shade. Graded on its own, easily Mint(-) and looking magnificent. The laminate is very solid, ultra clear with no blistering or mottling. A supreme shine is retained with no friction rubbing or dulling. Hardly a crease to be seen on the front and just a couple of fine ones on the back with little visibility. There are few surface marks or pressmarks. The laminate ends a few millimetres short on the front edge but this exposed strip is pristine and unworn with no grime-line formation or chipping. Both sides look truly stunning with an incredible freshness retained. So fresh in fact, it’s obvious this ‘front’ side was kept inside (if you see what I mean?). The Mothers from left back to right front were: Zappa; Mundi; Gardner; Estrada; Preston; Black and Underwood.

Cover Gatefold Inner: Folded nice and square - these often weren’t, this centrefold is equally as important as the outer faces. It was originally meant to be the outside but forced to switch after complaints – but this one allows RARE CHOICE! These unlaminated faces have light rubbing near the top edges but nothing of major significance. One or two mild marks and faint creases as well but indeed if this has been used as the outside, it has faired very well for over 36 years. Money hailed the arrived of Cal Schenkel, Zappa’s most suggestive visual interpreter. It replicates Pepper brilliantly, but turns it all around. It was photographed by Jerrold Schatzberg in his New York studio. The blue sky of The Beatles classic now becomes a black thunderstorm with lightning flashing. The flowers for the band name now are vegetables and the band are attired in dresses. The Mothers were flanked by executive producer Tom Wilson on one side, and Jimi Hendrix on the other. A photo of manager Herb Cohen’s daughter, Lisa, was placed in Hendrix’s arms. The lady on the right of Frank is Gail Zappa, heavily pregnant with Moon Unit (his daughter). Darker images of guests appear, MGM lawyers insisted on printing bars across the eyes of anyone in the collage who was still alive (other than players or those involved I would presume): their paranoia simply made it still more dark and sinister. In the sleevenotes, Zappa advised listeners to read ‘In the Penal Colony’, a short story by Franz Kafka that dealt with homoerotic abuse, colonialism and military/judicial atrocity – this album and cover remain a disturbing experience to this very day.

Top & Bottom Edges: All four edges retain solid laminate protection and show little wear at all. All straight and remain so whichever way the cover is folded.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and very sharp with no wear or feathering. Records enters on the back edge, the front edge is sealed.

Spine and Text: Like the Pepper spine, this often cracks and loses its laminate and erodes. The laminate on this one has peeled in placed but the exposed surface it totally unworn and all text immaculate. This is solid and robust, straight, uncompressed and square spine, both right edges meeting up perfectly together and parallel. Sorry have to mention again for those who skip reading the advert, this is the very rare double-folded version, yes it folds naturally BOTH ways.

Corners: All corners are very neat and retain great shape with little wear at all.

Cover Summary: Possibly the rarest Zappa cover of them all. The first pressed Select copies only had lamination for a brief time and that double folded spine is almost impossible to find on them. Indeed this is only the second laminated one of these I have ever seen or had. This is a great example and an important variation for the Zappa connoisseur.

The Insert: As new and taken from the Old Masters box set.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX with only light whispy surface marks that have NO effect on sound, there are NO scratches in what I deem a scratch and the evidence suggests a lightly played copy. It retains an attractive shine and is ultra clean and intense black. The audio quality and detail is simply stunning, the most psychedelic record ever and this 4-track stereo mix is unique to vinyl. It should please most collectors. The record includes the Polydor style lined inner with code 0571. It is also in very fine EX+ condition.

Album Played For Grading: Yes and always a delight to hear all those details from an early stereo original. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippetts or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: A record that does full justice to its importance. My play-grade was a real joy from start to finish. Barely any traces of unwanted sounds with clear, defined and TOTALLY distortion-free stereophonic sound. Both channels being sharp and focused with NO traces of any degrading at all. This one often falls apart, often with heavy surface noise and multiple scratches. This plays as quiet as vinyl this age will, even the dialogue on the telephone call. The original stereo mix is amazing, another stunning Zappa/Wilson production. Just listen to the voices on ‘Flower Punk’ for example which have a totally different mix and sound to the mono version with two distinct vocals coming from each speaker. That dynamic ‘snap’ on the tracks beginning never sounded sharper. The fine details just kept coming, some I swear I had not heard before. Just think of the rough treatment this album could have been subjected too. Even the delicate fade in and fade out on ‘Megaphone’ plays unusually quiet, this track alone is often noisy with distortion on the loudly mixed piano, this is sharp and still focused and quiet. Tracking is effortless and this could last indefinitely with the due care it deserves. A record from a bygone era but its messages are still relevant. This is a unique experience, nothing sounded quite like it before or since (and I can almost hear some saying - thank God).

End Piece: I make no apology for the length of this advert, I adore this album, and finding a worthy copy for offering is always a pleasure. For those who think Sgt Pepper is the Lord of all albums, well this Zappa creation was the anti-Christ. How many times I’ve heard this album I could not even estimate, but for certain I never tire listening to it. There is always something hidden away I discover on every listen, such clean pressings are treasure. Hearing it on a vintage vinyl format makes this one extra special - no CD version really compares, how could it with the original master tapes destroyed? The cover alone is worth any price - its unique and daring, would anyone else but Zappa dare to reconstruct the Pepper cover? It remains a mystery, even today how he got away with it - McCartney apparently was not amused. The sounds embedded in these vintage grooves are a testament to Zappa’s greatness and the same can be said of this legendary band too. It just remains a shame that only after the great man’s death does the world finally wake up to fully recognise this fact. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and it’s here, enjoy this classic forever in glorious clean stereo. The only problem is which way do you fold it? Unreservedly recommended to all – do NOT lose this one.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within 48 hours maximum. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with TWO thick stiffners for even extra protection. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity and well as sender label. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but NOT surface mail abroad. I never make profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & OPTIONS:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£35).

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT neccessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.